The Promise
by MyDarkestSideKM
Summary: Seth who is part of the Quileute wolf pack now has to care for the seven year old son of his sister. Will he cave under the stress of being a guardian to his nephew, a wolf, and dealing with his imprint? Or will he rise to the occasion? Seth/Bella


****Leah never phased into a wolf and Harry is still alive.**

"Is this Seth Clearwater that I am speaking with?"

"Yes this is."

"I'm calling because there has been an accident..."

The conversation replayed in the mind of the young man while he sped down the highway driving as fast as he could to get to the town of Hoquiam. It was about a two hour drive. But Seth was making it more like an hour and a half. His hands tightened on the wheel. The plastic creaked under his inhuman strength so he reluctantly loosened his grip. The thought of Leah all hurt in the hospital made his blood run cold knowing that the doctor said that there was a chance she wouldn't make it out of surgery.

No, that just couldn't happen not to his sister, not to Seth, and most definitely not to Nick his nephew.

Leah's child couldn't lose his Mother. Seth couldn't lose his big sister and his best friend. A lonesome tear rolled down his face and he wiped it away cursing himself.

He couldn't cry, scream, or shout about how unfair life was. Seth needed to be strong for Nick's sake. Leah didn't deserve what fate had dished out to her. He could still remember the day he found out about his sister's pregnancy. Seth loved Nick, but finding out that Leah had been pregnant and her circumstances had not been easy.

_Seth was looking for his sister. He was the only one who really saw Leah's pain at the devastating break up with Sam. His parents had understood in the beginning, eventually they had pretty much told her to get over it. It didn't help that they had been happy about Sam and Emily and at the time he hadn't understood what they knew because he had known there was more to the situation. Until he had phased he was left wondering._

_So when Seth had found Leah in the bathroom on the floor her back to the tub holding something in her hands. Her tears slowly fell down her face, and she had been shivering slightly even though it was not cold in their home._

_"Leah what's wrong?"_

_He could have smacked himself for the dumb question that he could answer himself. Everything. That's what was wrong with his sister her life had been royally fucked up. Seth didn't know how much until Leah had said something that would make Seth so angry he'd want kill Sam._

_"I'm pregnant."_

_Two words that can change a whole life, and change it did._

_"What, how?"_

_He asked shutting the bathroom door and sliding down the back of it to sit on his behind with his legs outstretched in front of him. Leah gave a watery laugh wiping at her snotty nose._

_"Do I have to tell you about the birds and the bees?"_

_She asked dropping the pregnancy test to the floor._

_"No I mean I just I'm surprised."_

_Seth looked her over seeing just how tired his big sister looked. She seemed to age right in front of him. He did not like this. He wished more than anything to be able to make things better for her._

_"Is it Sam's?"_

_He really wished it wasn't. But like with everything in Leah's life it was of course complicated since she nodded in answer. Seth cursed softly feeling even worse for his older sister. How could life be so shitty to her?_

_"What are you gonna do?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_Seth fidgeted uncomfortable with his next question even if he did need to ask it._

_"Are you going to…. you know…. keep it?"_

_He motioned with his hand down to her stomach._

_"Of course I'm going to keep it Seth! I can't believe you would ask that."_

_She sniffed as a flood of tears rushed down her face. Seth scooted over to her hesitantly putting an arm around her shaking shoulders holding her to his side._

_"It's gonna be ok sis, everything's gonna be ok."_

Seth switched lanes still pushing the car to its limit at the same time making sure he didn't hear/see any cops on the way. He really didn't need to be pulled over on top of everything else.

_He was sitting on the bed of his sister watching her furiously pack her bags shoving things into them haphazardly. Seth couldn't even beg his sister to stay at home. If he had been in her situation he would have left long before now. His parents and Leah had gotten into another argument when Leah had something snappy about Sam. She also told them in no way was she was going to allow Emily to visit her. That had really started the argument. Their parents couldn't understand why Leah wouldn't forgive her cousin. It made Seth's blood boil yet Leah had already asked him before to stay out of the arguments she had with their parents._

_Sue and Harry had gone to sleep so that's when Leah started her packing. She wasn't planning to say good-bye not even going to leave their parents a note. Seth knew that he was the only person who knew she was pregnant. Leah hadn't told their parents nor did she tell Sam. She was leaving no matter what._

_Seth couldn't even fault her for not telling anyone even if a small a very tiny part of him felt a little bad for Sam to never know that he's going to be a father. A larger part of him felt a little vindictive about it which made him feel really bad. What kind of person did that make him?_

_"You will let me know where you end up right?"_

_He asked looking around the now bare room just as Leah zipped up the last bag. The only things left in the room were things Sam had gotten her._

_"Of course don't worry about me Seth. I'll no we'll be fine."_

_She put a hand over her stomach that was a started to show her pregnancy. Leah had taken to wearing baggy clothes to hide the bump._

_That night he watched his sister drive off never to return to La Push._

Seth got off at an exit and wiped off yet another couple tears from his face. He sighed trying his best to pull it together reminding himself of Nick who was probably scared out of his mind.

_"I'm going into labor! Get your ass over here!"_

_Leah's phone call had been frantic making Seth jump into action the moment he closed his phone. He ran outside after getting a backpack together full of clothes and shit. He stripped and phase knowing Jacob and Embry were patrolling together and wasn't that good timing._

**_She's gone into labor Jake._**

_He thought to him holding his backpack in his muzzle started to sprint to the hospital Leah was giving birth in. Jacob knew about the pregnancy after all he was the alpha and Seth really had no hope to keep it a secret from him. He could only be thankful he had taken up the role right after he phased so Seth wouldn't give Leah away if Sam had stayed in the position. Embry only knew because he had found out the first time Seth phased. Thankfully they both kept their mouths shut. Seth wouldn't know what he would do if they didn't._

**_Ok Seth be back by Monday. Tell Leah I said congrats._**

**_Me too._**

_Embry chimed in._

_It wasn't all that much later that Seth phased back putting his clothes on quickly along with his shoes and socks._

_"I'm here for Leah Clearwater."_

_"Ah yes the brother she told us was coming. Let me show you where to go."_

_The nurse said with Seth following behind her trying to catch his breath._

_"Finally twerp! I thought I was going to be alone."_

_Leah sniffed trying to hold back her tears._

_"Sorry Leah I had to run here."_

_He said the moment they were alone. Jacob had given him permission to tell Leah what he had turned into which was a good thing. Seth had no secrets from his sister._

_It was hours later when they were finally in the delivery room. He was wondering if maybe Leah had super strength after Leah had almost broken his fingers. Seth would have bruises if not for his healing kicking in._

_"Ok Ms. Clearwater we are going to start to push on the next contraction."_

_"Oh god. I don't think I can do this."_

_Leah whined looking close to tears once more._

_"You can do this, sis. I want to see my little nephew."_

_"Ms. Clearwater start pushing."_

_Leah screamed squeezing Seth's hand so hard his pinky broke. He winced that fucking hurt!_

_After pushing for what seemed like eternity with Seth ready to kill the cheerful doctor his little nephew was born into the world wailing at the top of his lungs. The doctor asked if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord, but Seth declined trying not to pass out from the sight of the bloody little alien that came out of his sister. The nurses cleaned the baby up before handing him off to Seth._

_Seth would swear later that the dry air of the hospital made his eyes water that he was not crying as he held the most tiny little baby ever. He was scared he was going to drop him. So he didn't hold him long carefully transferring the baby into Leah's open arms._

_"He's beautiful isn't he Seth?"_

_"Yea."_

_He said his voice thick with again the dry air and not with emotion._

_Seth knew that he would protect her son with his life._

_And he was going to be the best Uncle ever!_

Finally Seth was in Hoquiam, he slowed down the car knowing that he was more likely to get pulled over now that he was there. He was pulling into the hospital parking lot taking in a gasping breath trying not to break down. The promise he made to Leah flashing through his mind.

_"Unk Seth is here Mama!"_

_Nicholas had been four at the time._

_Leah came out of the kitchen rolling her eyes watching Seth getting dragged by his hand to the Legos that Nick had been playing with. He smiled at his enthusiasm and wow'ed and aww'ed at all the right places while his nephew chatted his ear off. But he loved him for it. The exuberance was so unlike his sister that he wondered where it had come from. Definitely not serious Sam that's for sure._

_The little boy was a good mix of his parents although he looked a little more like Leah. He even had her dimples in his cheeks. The eyes were Sam's dark ones and his nose was a little like his. Other than that he mostly had the Clearwater genes._

_It was only after getting the little child to bed who didn't want to go to sleep that they had some brother/sister bonding time. Seth had promised him that he would be there in the morning was when he finally went to bed after a bedtime story of course._

_"Seth I need to ask you something."_

_"What's up?"_

_"A single parent of a little boy at Nick's school passed away leaving him all alone. I don't know what happened to him...it got me thinking about Nick."_

_She looked away out the window of the apartment she rented._

_"Promise to take him in if anything were to happen. Swear that you'll treat him like your own and never give him up for anything. Please Seth? I'm making a will in case anything did happen and I need to know your answer."_

_Seth already knew his answer he didn't like the thought of Leah ever leaving him._

_"I'll do it Leah. You know I love him more than anything. Promise to fight real hard to stay with him no us. I can't lose you sis."_

_"I'll do my best Seth."_

_"Then I promise to always be there for him, take him in, and treat him like my own. Anyone who tries to separate us will die."_

_He laughed even if he was only mostly joking._

Seth walked into the hospital entrance thinking in his head that Leah better do what she promised, to keep on fighting even when the odds are against her.

**End of the Prologue.**

**Like it enough for me to keep going?**


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